WHAT IS THE RIGHT NUTRITION FOR YOUR BABY?

The most important points in brief

• Breast milk is definitely the best food your baby can have.
• After a few months, however, infants also develop a more or less pronounced interest in other foods.
• Then the motto applies: Let the youngsters try most things.
• However, there are some foods that should be left out.

There is no question that breast milk is the best food for children - if breastfeeding works. Otherwise there are a number of products with which breast milk can be replaced almost one to one - because not all mothers are granted the privilege of providing their babies with their own milk. But baby milk also contains all the necessary nutrients.

At some point, baby will be interested in your meals

Aside from milk formula, however, after a few months an infant begins to develop an interest in what is actually on mommy's and daddy's plates. This is a very exciting phase for all parents, and it is a great pleasure to accompany your own child as they slowly develop their own taste.

By the way, your baby has already got to know various aromas through the amniotic fluid. The mother's eating behavior has a major influence on the taste of the amniotic fluid. But breast milk also partly takes on the smell and aroma of an adult meal - so your baby already learns a lot about the world of flavors through breastfeeding. Infants who are breastfed can therefore often deal better with new foods later.

When is the right time for complementary foods?

Your baby often does this himself - namely when, as described, interest in the parents' meals increases visibly. Of course, you can also encourage this interest if, in the seventh or eighth month of life, only breast milk is in demand. You should lower the breast milk portion a little and start feeding the first porridge. From the tenth month onwards, your baby can also try from your meals.

However, there are a few foods that are taboo for babies, such as pan-fried foods (risk of salmonella), small, hard foods (nuts, small raisins, blueberries, etc. due to the risk of suffocation), salty or spicy foods, honey (only from one year) because of infant botulism due to bacteria), industrial quark or yogurt (sugar), meat, sausage, grain (all difficult to digest), raw fish and raw milk cheese (pathogen) as well as leeks, cabbage, onions and Co., all of which cause severe gas and Can cause abdominal pain in infants.

Good mood and joy at the table

With the most important factor. Babies have to try their hand at eating, if something doesn't taste good, then so be it. You can't force anything. Infants have to get used to other flavors; they often like something they didn't like the day before. And it is not always just the new taste of a dish that is unfamiliar, but also its consistency.

Otherwise, let your child try what they want to try, create a good mood at family dinners and take them out if your baby doesn't like this or that. Under no circumstances should children be forced to eat if they don't like something - that puts them under pressure. Fun and joy are much better companions and advisors when babies immerse themselves in the food world of adults.